Tag: Charles Manson

Former Manson family member Leslie Van Houten reacts as members of a California prison board declare her parole dennied, 28 June, 2002, at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California. (Getty)

Tonight, former Manson family member Leslie Van Houten will be interviewed as part of ABC’s documentary special, “Truth and Lies: The Family Manson.”

Read on to learn more about Van Houten, who was just 19 when she helped Charles Manson carry out the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

1. She Was the Youngest Manson Family Member

Sheron Lawin (L), a member of the Board of Prison Terms commissioners, listens to Leslie Van Houten (R), after her parole was denied 28 June 2002 at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California. Van Houten, 53, has served over 30 years in prison for her involvement in the Tate-LaBianca killings. (Getty)

Van Houten met Charles Manson through then-boyfriend Bobby Beausoleil in 1968, when she was just 19-years-old. She began living with the group at the Spahn Ranch outside of Los Angeles County that same year, and in 1969, she participated (along with Charles Watson and Patricia Krenkwinkel) in the murders of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. Van Houten is said to have stabbed Rosemary approximately 16 times.

In late 1969, Charles Manson and the rest of the Manson family was arrested and charged for their role in the killings.

2. She Is the Youngest Person Ever Sentenced to Death in California But Was Later Commuted to Life in Prison

Corrections officer Sandra Fuentes (L) assists inmate Leslie Van Houten (R) as arrives for her parole hearing before members of the Board of Prison Terms 28 June 2002 at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California. Van Houten, 52, has served over 30 years in prison for her involvement in the Tate-LaBianca killings. (Getty)

On March 29, 1971, Van Houten was sentenced to be executed, making her the youngest woman to ever be sentenced to death in the state of California. In 1972, however, California ruled the death penalty unconstitutional, and Van Houten’s sentence was commuted to life in prison.

In 2016, after being denied parole 19 times, a California review board recommended parole for Van Houten– a decision which was met with disdain from family members of the victims. In July 2016, California Gov. Jerry Brown denied her parole, overturning the board’s recommendation that claimed Van Houten was no longer violent.

3. She Has Completed Two College Degrees in Prison

Leslie Van Houten, a former follower of Charles Manson, listens as former Deputy District Attorney Stephen Kay (not seen) describes the 1969 killing scene of the Smaldino couple during a parole hearing 28 June 2002 at the California Institution for Women in Corona, Califonia. Van Houten, 52, who has served over 30 years in prison for her involvement in the Tate-La Bianca killings, was denied parole. (Getty)

During her time in prison, Van Houten has completed two college degrees and runs a self-help group for incarcerated women. She has been described as a model inmate. Gov. Jerry Brown acknowledged the progress Van Houten had made when he denied her parole, but ultimately decided her ability to stay out of trouble behind bars did not mean she was fit for release. “Both her role in these extraordinarily brutal crimes and her inability to explain her willing participation in such horrific violence cannot be overlooked and lead me to believe she remains an unacceptable risk to society if released,” Brown wrote.

Van Houten’s lawyer, Rich Pfeiffer, responded by saying he would be challenging Brown’s decision. NBC writes, “[Pfeiffer] said he will challenge the decision in Los Angeles County Superior Court, where he hopes Van Houten’s parole will fare better ‘because the judges and the courts have less political pressure than does someone like the governor.’”

4. She Is a Former Homecoming Princess

Van Houten was born in Los Angeles in 1949, and grew up in a middle-class family. She has an older brother, and an adopted brother and sister.

As a child, Leslie was outgoing and athletic, and in high school, according to The Independent, she was twice elected homecoming princess. Her parents divorced when she was 14, and by age 15, she began experimenting with drugs like LSD and Benzedrine.

5. She Has Said She Is Deeply Ashamed of Her Actions

At her 2002 parole hearing, Van Houten admitted she is deeply ashamed of her actions. The LA Times reports her as saying, “I take very seriously not just the murders, but what made me make myself available to someone like Manson.”

During her 2016 hearing, Van Houten said, “I don’t let myself off the hook. I don’t find parts in any of this that makes me feel the slightest bit good about myself.”

Charles Manson, and many of his followers, are still jailed today. Susan Atkins died in prison in 2009, and Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles Watson have both been denied parole several times.

In this handout photo from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Charles Manson, 74, poses for a photo on March 18, 2009 at Corcoran State Prison, California. Manson is serving a life sentence for conspiring to murder seven people during the “Manson family” killings in 1969. The picture was taken as a regular update of the prison’s files. (Getty)

Tonight, ABC News will air a new documentary special, “Truth and Lies: The Family Manson”, which will chronicle the life of one of the most infamous cult leaders in history– Charles Manson.

The documentary will show never-before-seen footage of Manson and his family, and will investigate the murder of actress Sharon Tate.

Read on to learn when and where you can watch the show tonight.

DATE: Friday, March 17, 2017

TIME: 9-11 p.m. ET/PT

TV CHANNEL: ABC – Check with your local TV provider (ie. FIOS, Optimum, Time Warner) to find out what channel ABC is in your area.

SYNOPSIS: An updated look at the Manson murders in the summer of 1969 includes crime-scene footage; and prison interviews with Charles Manson and “Family” members Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel, as well as remarks by family and friends of the victims.

Tonight, ABC’s documentary special, “Truth and Lies: The Family Manson”, will feature never-before-seen footage of the infamous cult leader and interviews with those who knew him. The special will focus on the two nights in 1969 when Manson’s followers carried out the murders of nine people, including actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time.

Read on to find out how to watch the special online via live stream.

If you’re looking for a stream of the show and don’t have cable, your ability to watch online depends on where you live. If you live in the Chicago, Fresno-Visalia, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham or San Francisco TV markets, you’ll be able to access a stream through Sling TV and DirecTV Now, online streaming services that offer access to select channels. Each service has a monthly fee, but offers a free seven-day trial. Unfortunately, if you don’t live in one of those markets, there’s no legal way to watch online.

If you’re in one of the TV markets listed above, here’s how you can watch for free, and what you need to know in order to navigate each service:

Launch a Free Trial With Sling TV or DirecTV Now (In Select Markets)

Sling and DirecTV Now have monthly fees ranging from $20 to $70 depending on the package you’ve selected. But both services provide a free seven-day trial, so you can watch the game for free on your computer, mobile device or connected TV through either service. You can click here to sign up for Sling TV and click here to sign up for DirecTV Now. Both services will prompt you to download a mobile app if you’re on a mobile device. If you’re on a desktop or laptop computer, you’ll be promoted to download the Sling desktop app if you sign up for Sling. If you sign up for DirecTV Now, you’ll be able to watch programming right in your Internet browser.

If you’re only interested in watching this show and other ABC programming, Sling is your most affordable option. Sling’s Orange package costs $20 per month. The Broadcast Extra add-on, which is available to viewers in the Chicago, Fresno-Visalia, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and San Francisco TV markets, costs an extra $5. (You’ll need to select the Orange package in order to have access to the Broadcast Extra add-on.)

Broadcast Extra is also available at no additional cost to users who bundle together Sling’s Orange and Blue packages, which cost a combined $40. But the least expensive route is to sign up for the Orange package, then select the Broadcast Extra add-on. To do so, follow these steps:

2. Select either the Orange option or the option for Sling Orange + Blue.

3. Enter your billing information and create an account. You will not be charged until after you’ve completed the free seven-day trial.

4. If you’ve selected Sling Orange + Blue, you’re ready to start watching TV. Simply download the Sling app and navigate to ABC to start watching. If you’ve only selected Sling Orange, you’ll need to add the Broadcast Extra add-on. To do so, once you’ve created your account, click on the icon next to the “sign out” button in the top-right corner of your screen. Once you’ve clicked on the icon, click the blue “change subscription” link.

5. Click on “extras,” then scroll down to the Broadcast Extra add-on and click “add.”

6. Download the Sling app, and begin watching the show. (When you sign up, you’ll be promoted to download the app on whatever device you’re using.) If you’re interested in watching on a connected TV, you can do so on an Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, Android TV, Xiaomi, LeEco, Air TV Player, ZTE or Channel Master. You can click here for a list of all compatible devices.

Among the advantages DirecTV Now has is the ability to watch content right in your Internet browser on a desktop or laptop computer without needing to download an app. Sling, by contrast, requires you to take the extra step of downloading a desktop app. (Both services require you to download an app to watch programming on a mobile device.)

Another advantage: If you have diverse programming needs and you’re willing to pay more for more channels, DirecTV Now’s Go Big package includes more than 100 channels and costs $60 per month after the free trial, while the Gotta Have It package costs $70 per month after the free trial but includes more than 120 channels.

Lastly: If you’re an AT&T wireless customer, you can stream content on your phone anywhere on the AT&T network without using up data.